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5 things to know about Jon Husted

5 things to know about Jon Husted

Secretary of State Jon Husted is expected to join forces with Attorney General Mike DeWine in the race for governor, sources say. DeWine is expected to name Husted as his lieutenant governor pick Thursday in Dayton. Here are five quick facts about Husted:

1. Small town guy. Husted grew up in Montpelier, a small village in the far northwest corner of Ohio. He was the first in his family to get a college degree. J was a popular first initial in his family: parents Jim and Judy and siblings Jodee and Jeff.

2. Football. Husted played defenses for the University of Dayton’s Division III National Championship team in 1989, his final year. He played cornerback, starting as a junior and senior, and earned All-American Defensive Back honors. He had a try out with the Atlanta Falcons and a coaching offer from the University of Toledo but diverted into politics instead.

3. Speaker. Husted represented Kettering in the General Assembly for 10 years, including as Speaker of the Ohio House. In 2005, he became the first Montgomery County lawmaker to be speaker since Edwin A. Parrott in 1886.

4. His speedy wife. Husted is married to Tina Husted, a track coach, physical therapist, artist and real estate agent. Tina is also a marathon runner who was named 2014 Ohio Running Magazine Women’s Masters Runner of the Year. She ran the 2015 Columbus Marathon in 2 hours, 50 minutes and 20 seconds. (Yes, that means she averaged 6:31 per mile — for 26.2 miles.) Jon Husted said he can still beat her in a sprint but his wife considers a five-miler a “warm-up” run.

5. Secretary of State. Husted took office as Ohio Secretary of State in January 2011 and was re-elected to the job in 2014. He likes to say that his job is all about making it easy to vote and hard to cheat. Still, he’s faced criticism from conservatives who believe voter fraud is common and from liberals who believe disenfranchisement is common.